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“You’re not going to become actors. You think they’re going to put you Chinese boys on TV? Maybe if there’s a nerdy friend.”

—Asian mother to her sons, in ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat

When Toronto television producer Christin Simms started developing a new show aimed at preschoolers, she wanted to ensure that it would have an ethnically diverse cast.

Simms, the head of development for Sinking Ship Entertainment in the Liberty Village neighbourhood, started looking in January. But it took far longer than she anticipated to find her ideal cast for Playdate, commissioned by DHX (made up of Family Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior). After an exhaustive casting search — Simms even resorted to cold-calling schools — the show started principal photography last month.

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Diversity is the buzzword in Hollywood, but it seems finding child actors in one of the world’s most multicultural cities is easier said than done.

“Toronto has so many nationalities and we’re so proud of showcasing that, but it’s been a much more difficult process,” said Simms. “This isn’t a particularly new problem. But it’s much harder when you have fewer visible minority kids coming out for these roles.”

Visible minority actors have long complained of institutionalized racism on the part of studios, and Hollywood has recently moved beyond mere lip service to the problem.

But talent agents, schools and production companies interviewed by the Star say an increased demand for visible minority talent combined with a lack of awareness by some cultures about showbiz opportunities have created an unusual talent crunch in the film and TV industry.

Mainstream TV shows such as Jane the Virgin, Blackish, Cristela and Empire have raised awareness that promoting diversity is not only politically correct; it can also find audiences. Children’s shows from Sesame Street to the rebooted Teletubbies to Sinking Ship’s own series have long been ahead of the curve, promoting true diversity and not tokenism.

Simms says more studios are following the lead of producers such as Shonda Rhimes, who with Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder has proved you can make great TV with minority actors in lead roles not written for a specific ethnic identity.

“I think we are finally moving away from shows where everyone is white and there may be one kid who is ethnic,” says Simms. “Or the ethnic person isn’t the lead, but the girlfriend. . . . It’s about casting humans. Not races.”

But that has not made finding talent easier, particularly with younger actors. Artist agents say the choices improve when casting diverse adults. But getting minority kids and parents involved is a tougher sell.

This is despite the fact that Toronto is North America’s fourth largest city with half the citizens identifying themselves as visible minorities. The city is also one of the biggest film and TV centres globally, exceeding $1 billion in investment by production companies over each of the last three years.

“There is a demand for diversity now from the networks that is really solid, but we can’t fulfil it,” says agent Norbert Abrams, who has represented stars on shows such as Degrassi, Smallville and Lost Girl.

Television production is particularly prominent, accounting for two-thirds of all spending. Sinking Ship, for example, does more than a dozen children’s shows, including Odd Squad, Annedroids and Dino Dan, that were recently nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards.

To cast for Playdate, Simms ended up calling schools, imploring friends and placing ads in the newspaper. Her search was for children aged 5 to 7 who could star in her series about puppets who come alive.

She ended up with two newcomers, Aidan Wojtak-Hissong and Nirvaan Kwan, and two established child stars, Millie Davis (Odd Squad) and Scarlett Dovey (This is Scarlett and Isaiah).

Talent agents will readily tell you that because fewer candidates apply from visible minority communities, there are smaller numbers of talented applicants to choose from. But agent and manager Shari Quallenberg wonders if it is ultimately a chicken-or-egg argument.

“The kids don’t see themselves reflected on TV, so they don’t think these roles are open for them,” says Quallenberg, who specializes in representing child actors. “But you have to start somewhere or the cycle just perpetuates.”

Abrams says he once filled a role that called for an Asian actress with a Caucasian who “could pass off as Eurasian. That’s how crazy things are.”

Some of the difficulty in attracting talent could be cultural. Many recent immigrants do not see acting as a viable career and steer children to occupations that may offer greater job security.

On Fresh Off the Boat, when uptight tiger mom Jessica Huang (Constance Hu) is forced to direct the school play, she decides to turn it into a polemic about why acting is for losers.

“I don’t need to study anymore. I found a new thing to be when I grow up. It’s called acting,” says one Caucasian boy to his wide-eyed Asian friends who want to be doctors and lawyers. “Something that doesn’t require preparation or hard work.”

Tam Goossen, a former vice-chair of the Toronto Board of Education, says, “Parents want (some) certainty if they’ve invested so much in their children. And part of it is just familiarity. What does an acting career mean if you’re not exposed to how to go about it?”

Hong Kong-raised Goossen says many new immigrants steer their children to professional schools.

She and her husband Ted, a York University professor of Japanese studies, both performed in high school plays when younger and had instilled a love of the arts in their children. Their daughter Jeananne is a star of NBC’s medical dramaThe Night Shift.

“It’s actually quite difficult the younger you are, because you need parental support. . . . It can be quite complex,” says Goosen. “But the arts in general are a great way of rounding yourself out, to see all of your potential.”

Megan Davis, who with her husband Wayne runs popular Thornhill acting school Charactors Theatre Troupe, says she is noticing increased enrolment from minority children. But it is still not representative. Of the 250 kids enrolled, about 10 per cent are visible minorities.

“Some parents are looking at it as a springboard for their children into the industry but other parents, such as the Asian community, look at it for different purposes. They want their kids to be less shy and better at public speaking, or for confidence in job interviews and with book reports,” says Davis.

Davis’s own children Drew, 11 and Millie, 8, who are biracial, have appeared in TV shows such as Orphan Black and Rookie Blue. Millie is the star of Sinking Ship’s Odd Squad and Playdate.

The family was invited to the White House for this year’s Easter Egg roll and Millie was mobbed by children who wanted selfies with her, says Davis. It was an eye opener for the entire family. Many of those kids were seeing themselves reflected in Millie.

“We don’t have a star system in Canada so that doesn’t really happen here,” says Davis. “In the U.S. it’s the American dream; there is so much fascination with celebrity. But images are a powerful thing and this really does inspire the next generation.”

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